Racket stringer



y 1934- c. WHITTON ET AL 1,958,326

RACKET STRINGER 7 Filed April 20, 1932 IIE 40 II! Patented May 8, 1934UNITED STATES RACKET STRINGER Charles Whitton and Alonzo H. Walker,Chicago, Ill.

Application April 20, 1932, Serial No. 606,333

18 Claims.

Our invention relates to the art of stringing tennis rackets and thelike, and deals more particularly with means for drawing the stringstaut, and one object of the invention is to provide a device of thiskind which enables the strings to be drawn taut with ease.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which is soadapted for the operation mentioned that a racket may be strung muchfaster than by ordinary methods.

Another object of the invention is to incorporate in the novel device agage for the measurement of the string tension as the strings undergothe drawing operation, whereby to enable them to be drawn to the propertension without extra effort or attention.

A still further object of the invention is to construct the novel deviceon simple and rugged lines. I

With the above objects in view and any others that may suggestthemselves from the specification and claims to follow, a betterunderstanding of the invention may be gained by reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of theimproved stringing device;

Fig. 2 is a section of a portion thereof, showing its interior; and

Fig. 3 is a side view showing its operation.

In the work of stringing tennis rackets and the like with the usual gutor wire strings, two diiiiculties are principally experienced, being thelaborious work of drawing each string taut, and the extreme carerequired to give the strings the proper tension at one part of theracket or another. The stringing of rackets is commonly done either byhand alone or with the aid of small tools or make-shift devices, and theprocess usually involves a considerable amount of time and effort.

The stringing device which is the subject matter of the present patentapplication is in the nature of a complete tool which may be easilycarried about, handled and operated. As seen in r Fig. l, the toolgenerally comprises a rounded foot 5, a vertical shank 6 rising from thelatter, a tubular body *7 carried by the shank, and a handle 8 extendedupwardly from the body.

Within the tubular body 7, a plunger 9 is disposed for free verticaltravel, this plunger being carried by a central rod 10 upon which it isthreaded as indicated at 10a. The body '7 has a bottom 7a, and thecompression spring is disposed about the rod 10 between the plunger 9and the bottom 7a. The latter is perforated to permit the downwardpassage of the plunger rod 10 to receive a head piece 11 having a flaredextension 110,. The head piece also has a lug 11b spaced from the bottomthereof and making an acute angle with the latter. The tubular body '7has opposed longitudinal slots '71) in its wall to permit an indicator12 in each instance to project therethrough from the plunger 9 andcooperate with a downwardly progressive scale marked on the body 7alongside each slot.

The shank 6 is of channel design and continues with this design in theform of the foot 5, the channel being outside the curvature of the foot.The shank 6 also carries a guide roller 13 by means of a bearing frame13a which is adjustable lengthwise along the shank by being made with across screw 13b receiving a wing nut 13c and cooperating withlongitudinal slots 13d out in the side of the shank. The foot 5 is linedon the outer side of its base with a length of fabric 16 and similarlylined with a length 17 on the inner side.

Figure 3 shows the application of the novel stringing device, 14representing a fragment of a typical tennis racket, and 15 the stringsthereof. Usually, these are in a single length and are looped back andforth as indicated at 15a as the stringing progresses, each string beingdrawn taut for itself before the next one is threaded. After a stringhas been threaded, the practice is to in sert the point of an awl in thestock of the racket to wedge the string and keep the string fromloosening while the next one is strung across the racket.

In our instance, the string just strung across is led as indicated at15b over the guide roller 13 and further to be wrapped about the headpiece 11, as indicated at 150. The length is then wedged fast betweenthe head piece and the lug 11b and with the foot 5 straddling the frameof the racket, the handle 8 is drawn toward the right. This actionexerts a pull upon the string, the latter drawing in the oppositedirection upon the plunger 9. Thus, the further the handle 8 is pulled,the greater the tension upon the string will be and the recession of theplunger 9, so that the scale at '70 will indicate the amount of tensiongiven to the string. When this tension is of the proper degree, the awlis applied to the issue point 15d of the string in accord with theestablished practice in order to retain the string at the given tensionwhile the balance of the length is unwound from the tool and strung toform a new string.

The features of the novel stringing device are of vital importance.First, the tool is elongated and has a pivotal action about its base,furnishing a considerable leverage and thus making it easy tomanipulate. Further, the foot of the tool is rounded to enable it toeasily roll upon the racket frame during the stringing action. Also, thefoot of the tool is channeled to permit it to straddle the racketframeand thus maintain its alinement and engagement with the latter. Theexternal lining 16 of the foot prevents the racket from being marred andthe slipping of the tool along the same. foot serves to protect the neck14a of the-racket when the tool is hung on the same while the awl ishandled.

The provision of the guide roller 13 is for the spacing of the stringlength 15b from the tool and also for the alinement of the plunger rod10. The pull on the plunger rod must be straight for the latter purposeand the roller provides this condition irrespective of "the angle whichthe length assumes during the action of the tool, eliminating anybinding tendency on the part of the rod and a false reading of thegageas a result. Thefiared portion 11a is so formed to prevent theclimbing anddislodgement of the string length as it is wrapped; and thelug llbforms 'a simple agent for the temporary fastening of the same.The head piece 11 is practically roundand forms a safe anchor for thelength, having no element which will injure or cut the material of thesame.. The guide roller 13 is adjustable longitudinally toadapt it toracket framesof different curvatures. Finally, itis seen that the noveltool is composed of few parts which are simple and durable.

We claim:-

1. A. racket stringer comprising an elongated handle formed'at one endwith a hook-shaped foot portion, and means for securing a stringextended from the racket'to said handle, the latter being swingable byrolling the said foot portion over the, edge of the racket'frameadjacent the point of 'extensionof the string whereby to draw upon thelatter, said foot portion being outwardly flanged at its sides tooverlie the sides of the racket frame.

2. Alracket stringer comprising an elongated member to which a. stringextended from the racket is .adapted'to be applied, channeled meansextending from the member andadapted to fit overthe sides of a racketframe and also adapted for pivotal movement relative to the racket, an

element to which the string is attachable, resistof. the saidbodyportion.

4. A racket stringer comprising an elongated member to which a stringextended from the racket'is adapted to be applied, means extended fromthe member to adapt it for pivotal movementrelative to the racket, anelement to which the string is attachable, said element comprising abase fromwhich' a sonically flared headpiece projects andforms aretainer for the wrapping of the string, and a lock to secure the freeend of the string after it is wrapped.

5. The structure of claim 4, said lock compris- The interior lining 17of the extended from the racket, a guide for the string enabling thelatter to exert a straight pull on the plunger rod against theresistance of the spring irrespective of the angle of the string betweenthe guide and the racket, and an indicator of the resistance of thespring carried by the plunger.

7 The structure of claim 6, said guide comprising a roller mounted onthe member.

8. The-structure of claim 6, said guide comprising a clamp adjustablymounted along the member, and a roller carried by the clamp.

9. The structure of claim6, said member being made with longitudinalslots, said guide comprising a U clamp, a bolt passed through said slotsand receiving a nut to adjust the position of the clamp'along themember, and a roller carried bythe clamp.

10. A racket stringer comprising'a member to which a string extendedfrom the racket is adapted to be secured, said member having aroundedchanneled foot portion to engage the racket, and

said channeled portion being provided with yielding material to efiectsuch engagement without slippage on or injury to the surface of theracket.

11. A racket stringer comprising a hollow handle portion and ahook-shaped foot portion, means within said handle for indicating thestress on astring, means for attaching-astring to said last named means,there being a channeled periphery on said foot portion for engaging thesides of a racket frame.

12. A racket stringer comprising an elongated handle portion, and ahook-shaped racket frame engaging portion, the periphery of said frameengaging portion being channel-shaped' in cross section, means carriedby said handle for attaching a string thereto and means associated withsaid. last named means and within said handle for determining the degreeof tenseness of said string when stretched taut.

13. A. racket stringer comprising an elongated member. having a portionadapted'to place the member in'pivotal relation with the racket in thezone of a string extending therefrom, string stress indicating meanscarried by said member, and having a portion adapted for attaching astring thereto, and guide means between said last named portion and saidracketpressing portion to cause said string to exert a straight pull onsaid indicating means irrespective of the angle of said string betweensaid guide and the racket.

14. A racket stringer comprising a hollow handle portion and ahook-shaped racket frame engaging portion, string stress indicatingmeans carried within said handle, string attaching means carried by saidindicating means and a string guide between said handle and saidhookshaped portion.

15. The structure or" claim 14, said guide being adjustable.

16. The structure of claim 10, and string'guide means arranged on saidmember.

17. A racket stringer comprising a member to string attaching elementcarried by the member, said foot portion forming a pivot for the memberto draw on the string, and means carried by the member for indicatingthe tension of said string when said foot portion is pivoted to draw onthe same.

CHARLES WHITTON.

ALONZO H. WALKER.

